World Cup 2027
USWNT and the 2027 World Cup: The Road to Brazil
Quick answer
The U.S. women's national team has not qualified for the 2027 World Cup yet, but its road is short. It plays El Salvador in the Concacaf W Championship quarter-finals on November 27, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET in Mansfield, Texas. A win sends the United States to Brazil. A loss sends it to a December 2 play-in and, if it wins that, to a February play-off.
On this page
- Has the USWNT qualified for the 2027 World Cup?
- Who does the USWNT play on November 27?
- Who coaches the USWNT, and what has the team done under Emma Hayes?
- How has the USWNT played in 2026?
- Which players should you watch?
- What happened at the last World Cup and Olympics?
- What happens after the Concacaf tournament?
- Where does this guide fit in the series?
- FAQ
- Sources
The United States has played at every Women's World Cup ever held, nine in a row, and it is the only team with four titles. Now it has to earn the tenth ticket, and the first chance comes in a month.
This guide is independent and not affiliated with U.S. Soccer, Concacaf or FIFA. It explains how the USWNT gets to Brazil, who the opponent is, what the team has done in 2026 and what to watch in the next few weeks. For the dates and cities of the tournament itself, see our 2027 Women's World Cup schedule.
Has the USWNT qualified for the 2027 World Cup?
Not yet. The United States and Canada are the two highest-ranked teams in Concacaf, and neither is in the field. Both qualify the same way as everyone else in the region: through the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, a knockout tournament for eight teams that runs from November 27 to December 5 in Texas.
The U.S. is also the defending champion of the competition, which it won in 2022. The path to Brazil depends on one game:
| If the USWNT... | Then... |
|---|---|
| Wins its quarter-final on Nov. 27 | It qualifies for the 2027 World Cup and plays the semi-final on Dec. 1 |
| Loses its quarter-final | It plays a play-in on Dec. 2. The winner gets one of Concacaf's two places in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament |
| Wins the Play-Off Tournament path (February 2027) | It qualifies for Brazil as one of the last three teams in |
What the Concacaf W Championship means for the USWNT. Source: Concacaf, schedule announcement of Aug. 9, 2026, read Oct. 27, 2026.
That makes the quarter-final the game that matters. A loss would not end the road, but it would turn a one-game job into a two-step fight that runs into February. The play-off format is explained in our guide to the teams that have qualified so far.
Who does the USWNT play on November 27?
El Salvador. The quarter-finals were set by FIFA's April 2026 ranking, with the highest-ranked team facing the lowest-ranked, so the top seed gets the eighth seed. In our tally from FIFA's April 2026 guide to Concacaf qualifying, El Salvador is the only one of the eight teams that has never played at a Women's World Cup. The U.S. has played at all nine.
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Jamaica v Costa Rica | 5:00 p.m. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | United States v El Salvador | 8:30 p.m. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Canada v Panama, then Mexico v Haiti | 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Semi-finals | 5:00 and 8:30 p.m. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Play-ins (the four quarter-final losers) | 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Third-place match, then final | 3:00 and 6:30 p.m. | Houston, Texas |
Concacaf W Championship schedule. Times are U.S. Eastern. The U.S. quarter-final is highlighted. Source: Concacaf, read Oct. 27, 2026.
The U.S. game is at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, in the Dallas area. Concacaf lists CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+ in English, and TelevisaUnivision in Spanish, as the U.S. broadcasters, so check your listings closer to the date. Tickets are sold at concacaf.com, and each one covers both matches of that day: on November 27, the U.S. game comes with Jamaica v Costa Rica. For the 2027 tournament itself, see how to watch the Women's World Cup in the U.S.
Who coaches the USWNT, and what has the team done under Emma Hayes?
Emma Hayes was named head coach on November 14, 2023 and has been in charge of the team since May 2024, after a long spell as Chelsea's head coach. U.S. Soccer lists her first big result: the 2024 Olympic gold medal in Paris, won in her tenth match with the team, with all three knockout wins by 1-0. In 2024 the team went 13 wins, 2 draws and no losses. In 2025 it went 12 wins and 3 losses.
Hayes has said openly that she is building two things at once. After the October squad was named, she told U.S. Soccer: "You can't always park the development of the generation that will be there for tomorrow." In her first 32 matches, 32 different players earned their first caps, and 60 players have taken the field for the team since she arrived. That wide pool matters for the weeks ahead, because several players have been injured: Catarina Macario, Emily Sonnett and Olivia Moultrie are recovering from knee injuries and Croix Bethune from a hip injury, according to U.S. Soccer's roster story of September 30.
The roster for the Concacaf W Championship was not published on the pages I read, so I will not guess who is in it. I will update this guide when it is out.
How has the USWNT played in 2026?
Mixed: a trophy in March, some losses to strong opponents, and a draw with the world's top-ranked team in October. Here are the results from U.S. Soccer's match reports:
| When | Opponent | Result | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | SheBelieves Cup: Argentina, Canada | Won 2-0 and 1-0 | Nashville, Tenn.; Columbus, Ohio |
| March 7 | Colombia (SheBelieves Cup final) | Won 1-0, Alyssa Thompson 82' | Harrison, N.J. |
| April | Japan (three matches) | Won 2-1, lost 0-1, won 3-0 | San Jose; Seattle; Commerce City, Colo. |
| June 6 | Brazil | Lost 1-2 | São Paulo |
| June 9 | Brazil | Won 1-0 (own goal) | Fortaleza |
| Oct. 10 | Spain | Lost 0-2 | Washington, D.C. |
| Oct. 13 | Spain | Drew 2-2 | Chester, Pa. |
USWNT results found in U.S. Soccer's 2026 match reports, read Oct. 27, 2026. This is a selection, not a full season record.
The SheBelieves Cup was the team's eighth title in that tournament, and it was the only side in the event that did not concede a goal. The Brazil trip was a preview of the 2027 tournament: Brazil won the first game in São Paulo, then lost the rematch in Fortaleza, a heated game before 55,744 fans in which Brazil ended with eight red cards. The Spain series was the toughest test of the year. Spain, the reigning world champion, won the first game 2-0, then led 2-0 at halftime in the rematch before Ashley Sanchez and Mallory Swanson, who scored in the 86th minute, pulled it back to 2-2.
After those games, the USWNT stayed second in FIFA's women's ranking of October 20, 2026, with 2,042.38 points. Spain is first with 2,121.50 and Germany third. The next ranking is due on December 7.
Which players should you watch?
I am not a coach or a former player, so I stick to what the U.S. Soccer reports say. These are the names that appear in the 2026 matches above:
- Lindsey Heaps is the captain, per U.S. Soccer.
- Mallory Swanson scored the 86th-minute equalizer against Spain, a volley from Michelle Cooper's pass. It was her first goal for the team since her winning goal in the Olympic final on August 10, 2024.
- Ashley Sanchez scored against Spain in her first start since October 2024, and it was her first goal for the team since July 2022. U.S. Soccer notes she scored 20 goals in 26 matches for the North Carolina Courage this season, tying the NWSL single-season record.
- Sophia Wilson scored 96 seconds into the first Brazil game and set up Sanchez against Spain.
- Alyssa Thompson scored the winner in the SheBelieves Cup final and was named the tournament MVP.
- Trinity Rodman provided the assists for Rose Lavelle in both of the April wins over Japan.
Who actually starts in Texas is up to Hayes, and the roster will show how she balances experience and youth.
What happened at the last World Cup and Olympics?
The U.S. won the Women's World Cup in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019, and no other country has more than that. In 2023, in Australia and New Zealand, the team went out in the round of 16, losing to Sweden on penalty kicks. A year later, under Hayes, it won the Olympic gold medal in Paris. That is the record the team brings to Brazil: four titles, one early exit and one recent gold.
What happens after the Concacaf tournament?
If the USWNT wins on November 27, the road is nearly done. Then comes the draw: the groups for the 2027 tournament will be set on December 11, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, and only then will we know where in Brazil the U.S. plays its group matches. The tournament runs from June 24 to July 25, 2027, in eight host cities. The Concacaf W Championship also decides Concacaf's places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics; the U.S. is already in as host.
If you want to follow the team in person, do not book flights yet. I live in Salvador, one of the eight host cities, and the advice I would give a visitor is to wait for the draw. What you can do now is the paperwork: read the Brazil visa guide for Americans, learn how to register for the tickets and plan the trip with the guide to traveling to Brazil for the World Cup.
Where does this guide fit in the series?
This is the U.S. team guide in our World Cup 2027 section. It sits next to the qualified teams guide and the tournament schedule. I will update it after December 5, when the Concacaf W Championship ends. You can read about the person writing it on the About page, and how we check sources on How we write.
Frequently asked questions
Has the USWNT qualified for the 2027 Women's World Cup?
Not yet. The United States plays El Salvador in the Concacaf W Championship quarter-finals on November 27, 2026 at 8:30 p.m. ET in Mansfield, Texas. A win qualifies the team directly for Brazil. A loss sends it to a play-in on December 2, and the winner of that game goes to FIFA's Play-Off Tournament.
When does the USWNT play El Salvador?
On Friday, November 27, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas. Concacaf lists CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+ in English and TelevisaUnivision in Spanish as the U.S. broadcasters.
Who is the USWNT coach?
Emma Hayes, named head coach on November 14, 2023 and in charge of the team from May 2024. She led the U.S. to the 2024 Olympic gold medal in Paris, in her tenth match with the team.
What is the USWNT's FIFA ranking?
Second in the world in the October 20, 2026 ranking, with 2,042.38 points, behind Spain (2,121.50) and ahead of Germany. The next ranking is due on December 7, 2026.
How many Women's World Cups has the USWNT won?
Four: 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019, the most of any country. The team has played in all nine tournaments so far. In 2023 it lost to Sweden on penalties in the round of 16.
What happens if the USWNT loses on November 27?
It is not out. The four quarter-final losers play two play-ins on December 2, and the two winners earn Concacaf's places in FIFA's Play-Off Tournament, where the last three World Cup places are decided in February 2027.
When will we know where the USWNT plays in Brazil?
After the draw on December 11, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro. The groups will set the opponents and the host cities. The tournament runs from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
Sources
- Concacaf: 2026 W Championship schedule confirmed, tickets on sale (Aug. 9, 2026), read Oct. 27, 2026
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT vs. El Salvador, 2026 Concacaf W Championship quarter-final, read Oct. 27, 2026
- U.S. Soccer: Emma Hayes, head coach profile and record, read Oct. 27, 2026
- U.S. Soccer: Emma Hayes on the October roster (Sept. 30, 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT first camp at the National Training Center (Oct. 7, 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT battles Spain to a 2-2 draw in the rematch (Oct. 13, 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT looks to build on the Spain series ahead of World Cup qualifying (Oct. 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT wins its eighth SheBelieves Cup (Mar. 7, 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT grows through the three-game series vs. Japan (April 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT falls 2-1 to Brazil in São Paulo (June 6, 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: USWNT defeats Brazil 1-0 in Fortaleza (June 9, 2026)
- FIFA: Spain widen gap atop the Women's World Ranking (Oct. 20, 2026)
- U.S. Soccer: World Champions and Game Changers (Women's World Cup titles)
Founder and editor, WoSo Arena
I live in Salvador, Brazil, one of the eight host cities of the 2027 Women's World Cup, and I spent five years in the United States, where girls' and women's games filled the parks and school fields of Los Angeles. Every article starts from official sources, listed at the end.
